Drop side latching means for cribs



July 11,1950 H. w. NEUNHERZ I 2,514,668

DROP SIDE LATCHING MEANS FOR CRIBS Filed July 8, 1948 3O 24' 30 W INVENTOR.

HERB/SR7 W. NEUNHERZ W, 74:27 5 M ZZZ Patented July 11, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE r DROP SIDE LATCHING MEANS FOR CRIBS Herbert W. N eunherz, Gardner, Mass.

Application July 8, 1948, Serial No. 37,622

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in drop side latchin means for cribs and the principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a device of the class described which is easily and cheaply manufactured, easily and positively manipulated by the operator, and which more strongly and rigidly holds the drop side in its raised position without stress being disadvantageously applied thereto or thereby to the drop side guide rods.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a flat plate having a portion only thereof rolled up to form a barrel tangent to the remainder of the plate, there being a springpressed latching detent in the barrel for manual retraction thereof to release the same to unlock the crib drop side.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a View in elevation of one end of a crib drop side, showing the position of the invention with respect thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation showing the new latchin means;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation thereof, parts being in section;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the latching means in disengaged condition, looking in the direction of arrow 4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the plate; and

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the plate.

In the illustration of the present invention, there is contemplated a crib, not shown, but well understood in the art, which is provided with a pair of corner posts at one side thereof, one of these corner posts being shown at [0. Each corner post is provided with a drop side guide rod I2, only one of which is shown. The rod is usually secured to the corner post It at the ends thereof, in any manner desired. A conventional drop side is shown at M and this is provided at each end with a latch generally indicated at iii to hold the same in a raised condition on the drop side guide rods l 2.

The drop side 14 is provided with a hole [8 through which the drop side rod 12 extends, as is well known in the art; and surrounding the hole is a plate 20 provided with a corresponding hole 24 receiving the rod l2 on which the drop side will slide as it is moved up or down.

The plate 20 also originally included another integral portion 26 rolled up to form a barrel or ferrule 28 and, therefore, being integral with plate 20 and located tangent thereto as will be particularly clear from Figs. 5 and 6. The plate 20 is provided with holes 30 to receive fasteners 32 securing the plate to the upper rail of the drop side and the barrel 28 receives a movable detent 34 receivable in a depression 36 in the drop side guide rod I2. Of course, the detent 34 is selectively retractible from engagement therewith so as to free the drop side for downward movement, and holding the same in upward position when released by the finger to be urged to the left in Figs. 3 and 4 by a spring 38. The detent is provided with a button 40 for ease in manipulation thereof.

It will be seen that with the plate 20 secured to the bottom of the upper rail the detent 34 is just as close to this guide rail as it will be possible to place it, since the barrel 28 is tangential with respect to plate 28. Therefore, downward pressure on the crib drop side when it is in its raised latched condition will not have the tendency to bind the detent or to bend or distort the plate. The conventional depending plunger-carrying plate on the other hand is easily bent, thus throwing the detent out of line with the recess; but th s cannot happen with the present construction.

It will be seen also that this particular device is extremely easily and cheaply manufactured because the entire barrel 28 and plate 20 are made with a single piece of pressed metal, part of which is located to form the barrel and the remainder of which remains in plate form to provide for attachment to the crib drop side.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. The combination of a crib with a latch for the crib drop side, said latch comprising a flat plate, a portion of the plate forming a barrel tangent to the remainder of the plate, a detent in the barrel, a spring in the barrel and yieldingly constantly pressing the detent outwardly in the area of the plate, the latter being secured to a crib rail and having a central hole receiving a recessed crib guide rod for the drop side, the detent entering the recess to latch the drop side.

2. In a crib having a drop side slidable on recessed guide rods a latch comprising a plate se- I cured to the drop side adjacent each end thereof, each plate havin a hole to receive the guide rod, a barrel on each plate tangent thereto, a sliding detent in each barrel, a spring to urge each detent outwardly into the area of the holes in the plates to enter the recesses in the rods.

3. A crib comprising a drop side slidable on recess-ed guide rods, a plate secured to the drop side adjacent each end thereof, each plate having a hole to receive the guide rod, a barrel on each plate tangent thereto, a sliding detent in each barrel, a spring to urge each detent outwardly into the area of the holes in the plates to enter the recesses in the rods, the plates being secured with the barrels extending downwardly to the top rail of the drop side at the underside thereof so that the detent is as close as possible to the underside edge of the top rail.

HERBERT W. NEUNHERZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

